Integrated Photonic Platforms for Quantum Technology: A Review

Quantum information processing has conceptually changed the way we process and transmit information. Quantum physics, which explains the strange behaviour of matter at the microscopic dimensions, has matured into a quantum technology that can harness this strange behaviour for technological applications with far-reaching consequences, which uses quantum bits (qubits) for information processing. Experiments suggest that photons are the most successful candidates for realising qubits, which indicates that integrated photonic platforms will play a crucial role in realising quantum technology. This paper surveys the various photonic platforms based on different materials for quantum information processing. The future of this technology depends on the successful materials that can be used to universally realise quantum devices, similar to silicon, which shaped the industry towards the end of the last century. Though a prediction is implausible at this point, we provide an overview of the current status of research on the platforms based on various materials.Comment: 48 pages, 3 figure

Advanced Electro-Optic Surety Devices

The Advanced Electro-Optic Surety Devices project was initiated in march 1991 to support design laboratory guidance on electro-optic device packaging and evaluation. Sandia National Laboratory requested AlliedSignal Inc., Kansas City Division (KCD), to prepare for future packaging efforts in electro-optic integrated circuits. Los Alamos National Laboratory requested the evaluation of electro-optic waveguide devices for nuclear surety applications. New packaging techniques involving multiple fiber optic alignment and attachment, binary lens array development, silicon V-groove etching, and flip chip bonding were requested. Hermetic sealing of the electro-optic hybrid and submicron alignment of optical components present new challenges to be resolved. A 10-channel electro-optic modulator and laser amplifier were evaluated for potential surety applications

Non-volatile optical phase shift in ferroelectric hafnium zirconium oxide

A non-volatile optical phase shifter is a critical component for enabling large-scale, energy-efficient programmable photonic integrated circuits (PICs) on a silicon (Si) photonics platform. While ferroelectric materials like BaTiO3 offer non-volatile optical phase shift capabilities, their compatibility with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) fabs is limited. Hence, the search for a novel CMOS-compatible ferroelectric material for non-volatile optical phase shifting in Si photonics is of utmost importance. Hafnium zirconium oxide (HZO) is an emerging ferroelectric material discovered in 2011, which exhibits CMOS compatibility due to the utilization of high-k dielectric HfO2 in CMOS transistors. Although extensively studied for ferroelectric transistors and memories, its application in photonics remains relatively unexplored. Here, we show the optical phase shift induced by ferroelectric HZO deposited on a SiN optical waveguide. We observed a negative change in refractive index at a 1.55 um wavelength in the pristine device regardless of the direction of an applied electric filed. We achieved approximately pi phase shift in a 4.5-mm-long device with negligible optical loss. The non-volatile multi-level optical phase shift was confirmed with a persistence of > 10000 s. This phase shift can be attributed to the spontaneous polarization within the HZO film along the external electric field. We anticipate that our results will stimulate further research on optical nonlinear effects, such as the Pockels effect, in ferroelectric HZO. This advancement will enable the development of various devices, including high-speed optical modulators. Consequently, HZO-based programmable PICs are poised to become indispensable in diverse applications, ranging from optical fiber communication and artificial intelligence to quantum computing and sensing

Hybrid photonic integrated circuits for neuromorphic computing [Invited]

The burgeoning of artificial intelligence has brought great convenience to people’s lives as large-scale computational models have emerged. Artificial intelligence-related applications, such as autonomous driving, medical diagnosis, and speech recognition, have experienced remarkable progress in recent years; however, such systems require vast amounts of data for accurate inference and reliable performance, presenting challenges in both speed and power consumption. Neuromorphic computing based on photonic integrated circuits (PICs) is currently a subject of interest to achieve high-speed, energy-efficient, and low-latency data processing to alleviate some of these challenges. Herein, we present an overview of the current photonic platforms available, the materials which have the potential to be integrated with PICs to achieve further performance, and recent progress in hybrid devices for neuromorphic computing

Design of Ultrafast All-Optical Pseudo Binary Random Sequence Generator, 4-bit Multiplier and Divider using 2 x 2 Silicon Micro-ring Resonators

All-optical devices are essential for next generation ultrafast, ultralow-power and ultrahigh bandwidth information processing systems. Silicon microring resonators (SiMRR) provide a versatile platform for all-optical switching and CMOS-compatible computing, with added advantages of high Q-factor, tunability, compactness, cascadability and scalability. A detailed theoretical analysis of ultrafast all-optical switching 2 x 2 SiMRRs has been carried out incorporating the effects of two photon absorption induced free-carrier injection and thermo optic effect. The results have been used to design simple and compact all-optical 3-bit and 4-bit pseudo-random binary sequence generators and the first reported designs of all-optical 4 x 4-bit multiplier and divider. The designs have been optimized for low-power, ultrafast operation with high modulation depth, enabling logic operations at 45 Gbps.Comment: 13 pages, 4 figures. Submitted at Journal (Optik) for publicatio

Efficient Photonic Integrated Circuits – Optimizing Fiber-to-chip Coupling, Modulation, and Detection

Photonic integrated circuits (PICs) are attracting attention in a wide range of applications due to their superior performance over traditional discrete photonic devices. However, the development of PICs is bottlenecked by the integration of different fundamental building blocks. High sensitivity and diverse material properties hinder the realization of a monolithic photonic integrated circuit platform. High-efficiency solutions for photonic device integration are critical for making high-performance and low-cost devices. The objective of this work is to demonstrate high-efficiency optimization methods for a comprehensive photonic integrated chip system. This work analyzes the transition of optical signal waves between each component in a PIC and optimizes the efficiency while using cost-effective methods. Specifically, we present a plasmonic vertical coupler for out-of-plane fiber coupling with a compact footprint, and an efficient edge coupling method that provides ¡ 3dB connector-to-connector loss, a bi-layer grating coupler optimized for III-V photodiode detection that achieved more than 70% coupling efficiency, and an electro-optic modulator that has optimal optical or electrical mode overlap & transitions. This work details waveguide on-chip coupling, waveguides inter-layer coupling, and mode transition between the various materials and devices. These were optimized using a combination of the following methods: ber splicing, mode matching, mode conversion, mode confinement analysis, and piece-wise bonding. For each optimization method, the fundamental principles, simulations, and experimental results are illustrated. Overall, this work has realized improvements in the hybrid integration of various materials on the same integrated photonics platform

Hybrid integration methods for on-chip quantum photonics

The goal of integrated quantum photonics is to combine components for the generation, manipulation, and detection of nonclassical light in a phase-stable and efficient platform. Solid-state quantum emitters have recently reached outstanding performance as single-photon sources. In parallel, photonic integrated circuits have been advanced to the point that thousands of components can be controlled on a chip with high efficiency and phase stability. Consequently, researchers are now beginning to combine these leading quantum emitters and photonic integrated circuit platforms to realize the best properties of each technology. In this paper, we review recent advances in integrated quantum photonics based on such hybrid systems. Although hybrid integration solves many limitations of individual platforms, it also introduces new challenges that arise from interfacing different materials. We review various issues in solid-state quantum emitters and photonic integrated circuits, the hybrid integration techniques that bridge these two systems, and methods for chip-based manipulation of photons and emitters. Finally, we discuss the remaining challenges and future prospects of on-chip quantum photonics with integrated quantum emitters. (C) 2020 Optical Society of America under the terms of the OSA Open Access Publishing Agreemen

Roadmap on all-optical processing

The ability to process optical signals without passing into the electrical domain has always attracted the attention of the research community. Processing photons by photons unfolds new scenarios, in principle allowing for unseen signal processing and computing capabilities. Optical computation can be seen as a large scientific field in which researchers operate, trying to find solutions to their specific needs by different approaches; although the challenges can be substantially different, they are typically addressed using knowledge and technological platforms that are shared across the whole field. This significant know-how can also benefit other scientific communities, providing lateral solutions to their problems, as well as leading to novel applications. The aim of this Roadmap is to provide a broad view of the state-of-the-art in this lively scientific research field and to discuss the advances required to tackle emerging challenges, thanks to contributions authored by experts affiliated to both academic institutions and high-tech industries. The Roadmap is organized so as to put side by side contributions on different aspects of optical processing, aiming to enhance the cross-contamination of ideas between scientists working in three different fields of photonics: optical gates and logical units, high bit-rate signal processing and optical quantum computing. The ultimate intent of this paper is to provide guidance for young scientists as well as providing research-funding institutions and stake holders with a comprehensive overview of perspectives and opportunities offered by this research field

Schemes for building an efficient all-optical virtual private network.

by Tam Scott Kin Lun.Thesis submitted in: October 2005.Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2006.Includes bibliographical references (leaves 58-64).Abstracts in English and Chinese.Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.1Chapter 1.1. --- Optical Networks --- p.1Chapter 1.1.1. --- IP over Optical Networks --- p.1Chapter 1.1.2. --- Challenges in Optical Networks --- p.4Chapter 1.2. --- Virtual Private Networks (VPN) --- p.5Chapter 1.2.1. --- CE Based VPN --- p.6Chapter 1.2.2. --- Network Based VPN --- p.7Chapter 1.2.2.1. --- MPLS Layer 2 VPN --- p.8Chapter 1.2.2.2. --- MPLS Layer 3 VPN --- p.9Chapter 1.2.3. --- Optical VPN --- p.9Chapter 1.2.4. --- Challenges in VPN Technologies --- p.11Chapter 1.3. --- Objective of this Thesis --- p.11Chapter 1.4. --- Outline of this Thesis --- p.12Chapter 2. --- Architecture of an All-Optical VPN --- p.13Chapter 2.1. --- Introduction --- p.13Chapter 2.2. --- Networking Vendor Activities --- p.13Chapter 2.3. --- Service Provider Activities --- p.15Chapter 2.4. --- Standard Bodies Activities --- p.16Chapter 2.5. --- Requirements for All-Optical VPN --- p.17Chapter 2.6. --- Reconfigurability of an All-Optical VPN --- p.19Chapter 2.7. --- Switching Methods in All-Optical VPN --- p.20Chapter 2.8. --- Survivability of an All-Optical VPN --- p.23Chapter 3. --- Maximizing the Utilization Of A Survivable Multi-Ring WDM Network --- p.25Chapter 3.1. --- Introduction --- p.25Chapter 3.2. --- Background --- p.25Chapter 3.3. --- Method --- p.26Chapter 3.3.1. --- Effect on packet based services --- p.28Chapter 3.3.2. --- Effect on optical circuit based services --- p.28Chapter 3.4. --- Simulation results --- p.29Chapter 3.5. --- Chapter Summary --- p.36Chapter 4. --- Design of an All-Optical VPN Processing Engine --- p.37Chapter 4.1. --- Introduction --- p.37Chapter 4.2. --- Concepts of Optical Processors --- p.38Chapter 4.3. --- Design Principles of the All-Optical VPN Processing Engine --- p.40Chapter 4.3.1. --- Systolic System --- p.41Chapter 4.3.2. --- Design Considerations of an Optical Processing Cell --- p.42Chapter 4.3.2.1. --- Mach-Zehnder Structures --- p.43Chapter 4.3.2.2. --- Vertical Cavity Semiconductor Optical Amplifier --- p.43Chapter 4.3.2.3. --- The Optical Processing Cell --- p.44Chapter 4.3.3. --- All-Optical VPN Processing Engine --- p.47Chapter 4.4. --- Design Evaluation --- p.49Chapter 4.5. --- Application Example --- p.50Chapter 4.6. --- Chapter Summary --- p.54Chapter 5. --- Conclusion --- p.55Chapter 5.1. --- Summary of the Thesis --- p.55Chapter 5.2. --- Future Works --- p.56Chapter 6. --- References --- p.5